About Orange Essential Oil: Calming, relaxing and regenerating to the nerves, this luscious oil lifts depression and gloom, reduces fear and encourages positive thinking. Said to bring peace and happiness to the mind and body, orange is also beneficial to the digestive system and is a good all round skin tonic.

Properties Beneficial To The Mind, Emotions And Spirit: Strengthening for the heart and soul, this is the perfect oil for when you take things too seriously and forget to laugh. It gives emotional support in overcoming sadness by encouraging peace and happiness, and is helpful if you feel withdrawn. By reducing the fear of the unknown, orange oil helps prepare you for new experiences by giving you a positive outlook. It is believed to strengthen the astral body and its soothing, sedative action is calming for nervous conditions and insomnia. It also raises the level of norepinephrine in the brain, which increases energy while reducing irritability.

Orange oil has a positive effect on moods, harmonizes feelings and awakens creativity. For self-consciousness, anxiety, or a need for emotional warmth, it is balancing, relaxing and sensual. Boredom or a lack of energy can be relieved by its reviving action, and it can help quell nervous 'butterflies'. All the different varieties of oranges provide purifying energy for the mind and body.

Of Interest: Known since antiquity in India and China, the orange is derived from a mystical fruit called the Citron, which is indigenous to tropical Asia where it has provided food and medicine for thousands of years. Oranges reached China around 2200 BC, but their scarcity meant they were primarily given as tributes to emperors. The Chinese cultivated their own variety, the mandarin. Citrons were used in ancient religious ceremonies for their invigorating fragrance, and are still grown in Corsica for their perfume. In Sumaria they were sacred to their god of air, Enlil, and it is believed that the Arabic narandj is the root word for orange.

Oranges were introduced to the west around the year 100, when Rome began importing them from Palestine. They became known as 'Love fruit' because it was believed they encouraged love, happiness and good health. They have long been held as a symbol of innocence and fertility - although these may be considered opposite qualities. It is said that the Trojan war started when Paris awarded Venus a golden apple from the garden of Hespirides - believed to actually be an orange - in a beauty contest. In return, Venus gave Paris the incomparably beautiful Helen of Troy, unfortunately forgetting she was already married.

It is thought by some that the orange arrived in Europe during the 12th century, brought by Portuguese sailors from the East Indies. Other sources state it was introduced by Arabian travelers at this time. It is also possible that the crusaders brought the fruit to Europe. It was certainly known in England around the 16th century, where it was deemed rare and expensive. Even as recently as the 19th century it was considered generous and thoughtful to give oranges as gifts.

Apparently the bitter orange was introduced to Europe before the sweet variety. The bitter or Seville orange also produces pomerazen, or bitter orange oil, and according to some the preferred oil comes from Sicilly, and is organically grown with no pesticide residues in the skin. It takes approximately 1000 oranges to produce between 17oz and 21oz of essential oil.

The orange traveled by sea to California in boats carrying the early missionaries. During the Californian Gold Rush the Navel orange - a sweet fruit without pips - was imported from Brazil. This gave rise to controversy concerning philosophical questions about how it was able to reproduce. The looser skinned tangerine was developed in Tangiers, Morocco, and also became popular in the U.S.

The orange tree gives us three valuable oils; neroli from the deliciously scented blossoms, the intriguing petitgrain from the leaves and shoots, and of course the cheerful orange pressed from the skin. If you squeeze orange peel next to a flame it will ignite. Bitter orange flower water is a bi-product of distillation.

The orange has numerous uses in the perfume, pharmaceutical and food industries. The peel is used in Curacau, a West Indian liqueur, and of course in marmalade, which is said to prevent you from getting drunk, as is orange peel tea. In certain Wiccan rituals, the drinking of wine is replaced by orange juice. As an international culinary favourite, orange adds a wonderful natural flavour to sweets, desserts and mulled wine. It is also an ingredient in wood care and furniture products.

Properties Beneficial To The Physical Body: A useful digestive aid, orange stimulates the digestion, aids the absorption of vitamin C, helps lower cholesterol levels, and is useful for obesity and fluid retention. The juice is rich in vitamin C, which helps to maintain the body's immune system, and also carotene, or vitamin A. The oil contains flavenoids which are antibacterial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory.

Try orange oil to relieve sore muscles, mouth ulcers, colds, flu and bronchitis. It stimulates the circulation and lymph drainage and may ward off viral infections and warm up cold hand and feet. As a mouth wash it helps gum problems.

Orange oil helps the formation of collagen, vital for the growth and repair of cells. A good all round skin tonic, you may find it helpful for skin conditions such as a dull, congested, oily complexion or acne, wrinkles, calluses, dermatitis, dry, irritated areas, and it can be regenerative for aging skin.

Orange Oil Blending Suggestions: An extremely versatile oil, orange softens and gives warmth to your blends and mixes well with many oils, especially the warm spicy ones like coriander, clove, cinnamon and nutmeg, or flowery scents like ylang ylang, rose, jasmine and neroli.

For truly fabulous festive blends, combine orange with clove and cinnamon, or with the coniferous oils like cypress and juniper. Other combinations worth trying are with sandalwood, angelica, frankincense, geranium, lavender, petitgrain and rosewood.

Alternative Suggestions For Use: Orange is an ideal room fragrance to create a positive, joyful mood in your home or work space. Children often love this scent, so diffuse it in their bedrooms to help them sleep, and in play rooms, kindergartens or at birthday parties. Mixed with linseed oil it protects furniture from woodworm, and is an excellent cleaner and de-greasing agent. Try it as a cheering winter bath oil.

Essential Safety Precautions: Do not apply before exposure to sunlight or U.V. rays, as orange can be phototoxic to sensitive skins. Also, prolonged use may irritate sensitive skin. Avoid storing in a warm place - large quantities are best stored in the fridge.

Do not use essential oils undiluted or take internally without the guidance of a qualified practitioner. The information contained here is for general interest and is not intended to replace medical diagnosis or treatment

Dictionary Terms Explained

* They are non-adulterated and are as produced at the still
* We specify the country of origin for each oil
* Each oil has been independently tested by French chemist
* Our essential oils are not blended unless we say specifically say so
* No middlemen - straight from soil to bottle

Originally the Holisticshop range of essential oils went under the name of Windflowers. This company was founded by a qualified aromatherapist, selling high quality oils to shops and aromatherapists throughout UK and the world. In 2003 the opportunity came up for Holisticshop to buy Windflowers, which we did. This acquisition has meant that since this time Holisticshop customers have been able to buy high quality oils at the price professional aromatherapists would expect to pay.

Lower quality oils are available on the market but we continue to pick the best quality source for every oil. For example our lavender oil is "High Alpine" lavender from Mount Ventoux in the Pyrennes and the ylang ylang is the "complete" oil, not the ylang ylang II or III which come from a different stage in the distillation process. In the current climate essential oil prices on the open market have risen quite dramatically and some sellers are cutting quality. We have maintained quality, bought well and kept as competitive as always.

We do not buy anonymous drums of essential oils on the open market and we do not redistill lower quality oils to remake a “scientifically” higher grade oil that does not smell great (this happens sometimes with ylang ylang). We know the country and the growers of all our oils. Please be assured by the care we take with making sure our oils are great quality. You will smell the difference.

Holisticshop.co.uk

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